Glossary - Raising Sheep - page 416

density . Number of wool fi bers per unit area of a sheep's body. Fine-wool
breeds have greater density than coarse-wool breeds.
dental pad . The fi rm upper gum, which lacks teeth.
dock . To cut off the tail; the remaining portion of the tail of a sheep that has
been docked.
drench . A liquid medicine given orally.
drift lambing . A pasture-based system of lambing in which ewes that have
not yet lambed are moved each day, while ewes with new lambs remain in
the pasture where they dropped their lambs.
dry . A nonlactating ewe; the period between lactations.
drylot . A small enclosure in which animals are confi ned.
dry matter . The proportion of a given feedstuff that doesn't contain any
water. Found in a laboratory by “cooking” a feed sample at about 120°F
(48.9°C) to drive off all water molecules.
edema . Swelling due to excess accumulation of fl uid in tissue spaces.
elasticity . The ability of wool fi bers to return to their original length after
being stretched. Good-quality wool has a great deal of elasticity.
Elastrator . A device that is used to apply a heavy rubber band to the tail or
scrotum of a lamb for docking or castrating.
electrolytes . Salts naturally found in an animal's blood. May be adminis-
tered orally or intravenously during illness.
emaciated . An animal that is overly thin, often caused by illness.
estrous cycle . The time and physiological events that take place in one heat
period of 17 days in a ewe.
estrus . The time during which a ewe will allow a ram to breed her.
Normally, a ewe is in estrus for about 28 hours.
ewe . Mature female.
ewe breed . Fine-wool, prolifi c breed of sheep.
ewe lamb . Immature female.
extensive management . A management system that relies on low-input
methods of production, centered on pastures and grazing. See intensive
management.
facing . Trimming wool from around the face of closed-face sheep; see also
wigging.
fecundity . The ability to produce many offspring, either within one year or
over a lifetime.
feeder lambs . Animals under 1 year of age that make good gains if placed on
high-input feedstuffs.